Senate Passes Voting Reform After Marathon Sitting

After a marathon sitting, the Senate finally passed the voting reform bill on Friday afternoon, which kept sleepless Senators on the go for more than 28 hours.

But the red carpet was far from glamorous, with pyjamas, irons and a bum vs bottom debate making appearances as the Australian Senate remained in session overnight, as Labor and independent senators tried to delay a vote on the reform bill which effectively reduces the chances of members from microparties being elected.

In what was the third longest sitting to pass a bill in Australia's political history, the voting reform bill was passed at about 1:30pm on Friday.

The Commonwealth Electoral Amendment Bill allows voters to number six boxes above the line on a senate ballot paper in order to allocate their own preferences, effectively replacing the complex preference swaps that go on among the small parties.

Labor and most crossbench senators argued the reform will stymie minor parties and independents from being elected in the future.

Liberal Democrats Senator David Leyonhjelm, who has been one of the most vocal opponents of the voting reform, told reporters on Friday afternoon voters shouldn't be discouraged to vote for minor parties and independents.

"We have a very good chance of winning seats again. We are very sorry that brand-new minor parties are going to struggle to get started. That is our chief complaint, as a matter of fact," Leyonhjelm said.

"There's a very good chance that Bob and I will survive, either in a double dissolution or even a half-Senate."

The number of micro parties has been trending upwards since the 1980s and the bill will arrest the three-decade shift.

And the #SenateSleepover was far from dry. As these elected representatives tried to keep themselves awake, there were some zingers from the floor. Even if Labor did appear to run out of fresh material and circle back to mocking Greens' leader Richard Di Natale's choice of fashion for a recent magazine cover.

Perhaps not GQ-worthy, but South Australia's Nick Xenophon dressed the part.

Speaking after the voting reform bill was passed, the Independent Senator told the ABC he change into bedtime attire for more than comfort in the early hours of Friday morning.

"I was told polite but gently that I should perhaps get out of the chamber and change back into my suit. But I wanted to make a point. I just wonder whether the marathon session was necessary," Xenophon said.

"When Senator Glenn Searle, the Labor Senator from WA, who is a terrific bloke, when he starts talking about his colonoscopy in the context of this legislation you know the debate's literally hit rock bottom.